Fabulous Moments In OCD

I am supposed to be meeting my group for dinner. Actually I have to go home, meet HG, and then meet everyone for dinner. We ran a little late at the store because my last customer wanted to make sure that she saw every single earring we carry, because what if the champagne color wasn't perfect?  What if this other pair is better?  Maybe it would be better to just bring the dress in to match.  Maybe it's a CHAMPAGNE STUD EARRING, LADY!  The easiest color in the world to match.  Anyway. I need to leave. 

And yet, I stay.  I sit here in my office, looking out my tiny little two-way mirror (yes, I am like CIA for real!) and stare forlornly at the storefront.  As much as I want to leave, as much as I want to just walk through my shop, out the front door, and straight into my car, I know that I can't do it.  No matter what logic I apply to the situation - does it really matter?  who is gonna notice?  you won't think about it later, I promise! think of all the other things you'll be doing that will distract you! As much as I want to believe myself, the truth is that I am one big fat liar.  I can't leave this undone.  But the task that lies in front of me, the only thing that will allow me to actually leave, is too daunting to begin.

Every hanger in my entire store has to be turned the same way.  Every single tag on every single piece of clothing has to be sticking out at the same place.  And every hanger has to have the same exact distance between it and its neighbor.  I would estimate this distance to be about 1/4".  I have never taken a ruler to the racks, but I would venture to guess that if I did, I would only be off a fraction here or there.

Because I'm good like that. 

Or, because I'm insane.

But either way, I cannot leave until it's done.  Cannot.  Can. Not.

Comments

[Liz (Mom Unscripted)]

I hope you got the task done fast. Don't you hate that kinda stuff? Things like I know if I don't do it then it will haunt for the rest of the day. When we leave for more then a few hours I have to check to make sure the front door is absolutely shut and locked about 2,000 times before we can leave.

[elise]

I do that with the doors too. Sometimes when I leave the store, I will have to actually pull my car over to run back and make sure the stupid door is locked. I just locked it!! Why wouldn't it be locked?

But maybe I didn't. That's always the thought process :)

[Nathan]

OHHH man,

Don't encourage her whoever you are.

[Hannah]

Thanks for the compliment. My inro to blogging has been somewhat scary, so I appreciate the input.
I'm a friend of Amy and Kyle's from JBU. And I believe you and I are both in their wedding, so we'll meet then. Ciao!

[Amy]

The spelunkers would eat one another.

[Laurie]

One of these days a door is going to unlock itself and all of us repetitive door checkers will be justified! :)

[beck]

Good lord. How long does that take you? Maybe you could wean yourself of the habit by only doing some of the things until you do nothing at all? Maybe I know nothing about OCD, too.

[CJ]

Hi my name is CJ, am I at the right OCD meeting? The locked doors have me. They have me night and day. Did I lock that one when I took out the dog, I get up at 3am to check, wait did I lock that one when jill left, so I trot to the front door at 3 Am , did I remember to shut the fridge, oh wait let me check that one one more time I might have turned the deadbolt the wrong way. I feel your pain!

[Allison]

Not only do I triple check my front door, but I also triple or quadruple check my hair straightener, the oven, and my iron EVERY SINGLE morning. I also double check my kitty's water dish because I have an irrational fear that she'll not have enough and she'll die from dehydration by the time I get home from work. No wonder I'm late for work every morning.

[Liz (Mom Unscripted)]

I'm awful about the door. Sometimes I make the husband get up and check to make sure its locked and chained at 1 or 2 in the morning. I have a plant rack thingy on the deck that I actually wedge in front of the door when we leave for trips. The back door in bungeed closed! That took some engineering!